For my 8th batch, I decided to try goat milk instead of water. I added 2 tsp of powdered sugar (my recipe has only 15% CO so I add sugar for bubbles) then mixed with milk frother (probably too much) because milk became a bit frothy but I waited for bubbles to subside and put the necessary amount in the freezer (in ice cube mold). I put the ice cube milk in a container which was itself in a larger container with ice and was adding lye slowly while mixing to keep the milk below 70 degrees. The lye melted the milk and mixed in nicely and I added 2tsp of sodium lactate so far so good. I proceeded with prepping my oils but when it was time to add my lye mixture the lye mixture ceased ie it became like a thick trace of the consistency of the thick sour cream that was weird. Nothing like that happened to me before. Needless to say, I could not strain the lye mixture I just scooped it up and added it to oils luckily I reached saponification and left the batch in the fridge to hopefully prevent gelling (something I never tried before) today the log looks fine I am about to cut it. Any ideas about what happened with the lye mixture? I think that lye reacted with fats in milk and it saponified. Or could it be that added sugar or sodium lactate that caused it? Or maybe it was because I kept it in the ice bath?
tried making Goat Milk soap - weird thing happened
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Obsidian
Well-Known Member
It was the lye saponifiying the fats in the milk.
I add sugar to my regular recipe, also %15 CO, but I don’t add it to my goat milk (or beer) soaps. Those two have sugar in the goat milk and beer, and they don’t need the extra sugar.
This is interesting because it does not happen in any of the youtube goat milk soap-making tutorials I watched before giving it a try.
Obsidian
Well-Known Member
It always happens to a degree when I use milk. Its possible the low temps exaggerated your mix.
As long as the lye fully dissolved, its fine to use the lumpy mix
As long as the lye fully dissolved, its fine to use the lumpy mix
Sudzy
Member
The same thing happened to my last batch, only it was coconut milk. I had to push the lye milk through the strainer. I didn’t use any sugar either. It still turned out beautifully though. Hope yours does too! Happy soaping!! 
What was your liquid:lye ratio? A lower ratio would create a thicker solution as the lye saponifies the fats.
Also keeping it on ice, can turn it to a creamy iced-cream-like smoothie consistency, and depending on how long it sits like that, the more thick it will get.
When you're new, everything takes a little longer, so you probably took too much time between steps as well.
Did you deduct the milk fat from the total liquid when you measured (weighed)? The percentage of milk fat alters the actual amount of water in milk. You may or may not know the exact figure, but with a little research can find a ballpark figure (unless you are using milk that comes with a nutrition label.)
Some things I would do:
I'd add the sugar to the oils and not to the lye solution.
I'd use at least 35% lye concentration (after doing the math for the milk fat & deducting that from the weight of the liquid for the lye solution.)
I'd make sure to mix the lye solution very shortly before adding it to the oils so it doesn't sit around for a long time.
Also keeping it on ice, can turn it to a creamy iced-cream-like smoothie consistency, and depending on how long it sits like that, the more thick it will get.
When you're new, everything takes a little longer, so you probably took too much time between steps as well.
Did you deduct the milk fat from the total liquid when you measured (weighed)? The percentage of milk fat alters the actual amount of water in milk. You may or may not know the exact figure, but with a little research can find a ballpark figure (unless you are using milk that comes with a nutrition label.)
Some things I would do:
I'd add the sugar to the oils and not to the lye solution.
I'd use at least 35% lye concentration (after doing the math for the milk fat & deducting that from the weight of the liquid for the lye solution.)
I'd make sure to mix the lye solution very shortly before adding it to the oils so it doesn't sit around for a long time.
If this helps, I use goat milk all the time and play around with it. I do have fat globules sometimes in the lye mixture and I always use a sieve when I put the lye mixture in with the oils. I kinda mash everything.... I agree with @earlene about adding the sugar to the oils. I tried adding it to the lye mixture, again just messing around, and it seized on me right in the bowl after adding! That's the first and last time I did that. I haven't used sugar since until yesterday. I dissolved the sugar in a small amount of hot distilled water and then added it to the oils. Everything worked out great! I also resorted to freezing all the liquids I use, to combine with the milk; aloe vera juice or beer or whatever and mix the lye in with the assorted cubes. I also found the larger the cubes I use the cooler the solution stays and sometimes I even have to take the bowl out of my cold water sink because the temp is pretty low. I swear aloe vera juice really makes it cool .Which is why I'm kinda prone to getting those pesky spots in my soap......I blame it on the goats 
little porkers.
I agree with @earlene about adding the sugar to the oils. I tried adding it to the lye mixture, again just messing around, and it seized on me right in the bowl after adding! That's the first and last time I did that. I haven't used sugar since until yesterday. I dissolved the sugar in a small amount of hot distilled water and then added it to the oils. Everything worked out great! I also resorted to freezing all the liquids I use, to combine with the milk; aloe vera juice or beer or whatever and mix the lye in with the assorted cubes. I also found the larger the cubes I use the cooler the solution stays and sometimes I even have to take the bowl out of my cold water sink because the temp is pretty low. I swear aloe vera juice really makes it cool .Which is why I'm kinda prone to getting those pesky spots in my soap......I blame it on the goats little porkers.
MullersLaneFarm
Well-Known Member
When making milk soap, get your oils ready (weighed, melted, combined) before mixing the lye into the milk, then pour the lye/milk solution into your waiting oils immediately.
Thanks. That is exactly what I tried in my second attempt (also, I did not put it in an ice bath and did not use sugar). The second batch turned out fine. I did not account for extra fat in milk as earlene suggested but it will go towards my superfat I assume. BTW my lye concentration is %35
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MullersLaneFarm
Well-Known Member
That's awesome! I don't use an ice bath either. I also don't slowly combine the lye into the frozen milk cubes but dump it in thirds, mixing well after each dump of lye and using my stick blender (make sure it is immersed) after the last dump to break up the remaining frozen milk and combining the lye.
This makes total sense since I started using the larger cubes. I noticed the same thing having to take the bowl out of the water as I mentioned above. I’ve not used an “ice” bath often , but
did use cold water. Using the stick blender in the lye solution is an eye opener! ( with goggles lol!) I appreciate your response as well!
